Last week, I was sent a bottle of Pure Glow Brightening Moisturizer from Valentia. It is a lightweight cream that helps lighten dark spots, restores radiance, and evens skin tone. It also diminishes fine lines and provides all day hydration. It comes in a 4oz pump bottle. I have always been very pleased with Valentia products in the past, and this one is no different. I only had to use a small amount to cover my face & neck. It has a pleasant smell, though I haven’t been able to smell it myself too well because I have a nasty sinus infection. It didn’t irritate my skin at all, and left it feeling very smooth & soft. Due to being sick, I haven’t gotten to use it much. I’ve probably only gotten to use it a few times so far, so it’s hard to tell how it will work long-term. However, it definitely makes a difference on how bright my skin looks after using it. It’s very noticeable. I have also noticed it looks a tad more even tone wise as well. Overall, I haven’t ...
product reviews
Product Review – Ceramic Mortar & Pestle
Last week, I was sent a Ceramic Mortar & Pestle from KwikKitchen to test out and review. The porcelain is food grade and is microwave & dishwasher safe. It comes with non-slip silicone base and grip, and has an 8oz capacity. It can be used to safely grind up pills, food, herbs, and more. I’ve never had a mortar and pestle before, so it was interesting trying it out for the first time. I mashed up some garlic with it to add into some spaghetti. I was hesitant at first to really put some pressure down on it because I was afraid it would crack or something. However, once I got a feel for it there weren’t any issues. Once I was finished, it washed out easily and left no odor of garlic behind. The entire set is only a little over a pound, so it’s very light. I’ve seen stone ones in the past that were around the same size & they were ridiculously heavy. With this one, I don’t have to worry about it being too heavy for the cabinet or pulverizing my foot in the off ...
Product Review – Monkey Mat
A few weeks ago, I was sent a Monkey Mat to try out and review. Featured on Shark Tank, the Monkey Mat is a portable mat that you can use anywhere. It’s perfect for the beach, picnics, and anywhere you might want a little something to sit on. The mat has weighted corners with loops to be able to stake it down if needed (stakes sold separately), an attached bag to fold it up into, and loops in the middle to attach keys or toys. I have several ground blankets that I use, but they are pretty bulky and tend to take up a lot of room if I’m carrying stuff down to the beach. The Monkey Mat is lightweight and folds up small. I was able to drop it in my purse to take to the pool, and it took up almost no room. It’s also soft and silky feeling, but still durable at the same time. I received a set of the stakes with it and they were fairly sturdy. They are perfect for the beach and any type of soft soil. I think that my favorite feature is the loops in the middle for the keys/toys. ...
Product Review – eReading LED Desk Lamp from BenQ
Last week, I was sent an eReading LED Desk Lamp from BenQ to try out and review. The lamp is curved, offing 90cm of coverage, giving 150% more light coverage than other lamps. It has a touch sensitive control ring, adjustable brightness, ambient light sensor that automatically adjusts the brightness, and is flexible so you can adjust it as needed. We recently moved, and the area where I now have my desk & computer at doesn’t get much light. I no longer have my big pole light or a regular desk light, so it makes it really hard to see any detail when working on my design commissions. I wasn’t sure how well this desk lamp would work. I was primarily worried about the light giving me migraines and if it would glare off the screen or affect how the screen looked. I also didn’t pay much attention to the size, so I was expecting something small. I was shocked when the UPS guy showed up with a giant box. The lamp itself is a pretty good size & it has a very heavy base. It ...
Product Review – Dog Harness from My Pets America
Last week, I was sent a dog harness from My Pets America to try out and review. The harness is available in medium and large sizes and is made from durable light-weight polyester. It also comes with a 78 inch leash as well. Tank, our aptly named boxer, is a little over 4 months old and growing very quickly. He’s hyper still, which makes it hard to control him when he’s out. Neck collars just aren’t enough for him at times. We had been looking for a good harness for him, so this was much needed. I had the choice between getting medium or large. While the medium would fit him now, in another few weeks it would be too small, so I went with the large. It is still big on him, but not overly so. He can wear it; it’s just really loose…but not enough for him to get out of. I think that the best feature of the harness is the handle. With it you can either keep a firm hold on your dog, or secure him in the car with a seat belt. He likes to jump up on people, like the UPS man ...
Product Review – Stolevar Camping Cookware Set
Last week, I was sent a Camping Cookware Set from Stolevar to test out and review. The set consists of an anodized nonstick pot (with lid) & pan, 2 bowls, folding spoon & fork, soup spoon, bamboo spatula, and a sponge. It’s designed to be lightweight, making it perfect for backpacking or any camping trip. It comes in a nylon drawstring bag. I’ve had many similar sets over the years, and for the most part they were ok. Typical issues I’ve learned to look for are not heating evenly, hot spots, and sticking. So I decided to put these pans to the test using a travel alcohol burner that you would normally use for backpacking or at parks that you can’t have a fires or propane stoves. For testing the pot, I boiled water in it. It heated up quickly and the bubbles were evenly dispersed around the pan, showing that there weren’t any hot spots. The rolling boil was smooth as well. For the pan, I cooked an egg sunny side up. I did use butter in the pan, which started ...